USD116 BOE Update: Feb. 4, 2025

Tuesday night, the Board approved the District submitting for the IL Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Grant.

The Illinois GEAR UP grant is a federally-funded grant program that helps low-income students prepare for college and succeed in postsecondary education.. The Illinois State Assistance Commission (ISAC) administers the GEAR UP Grant.

The GEAR UP Grant is a seven year award. Schools who participate in the grant:

• Are reimbursed to hire a grant-funded, school-based GEAR UP District Coordinator
• Will receive extensive support in implementing the Illinois PaCE Framework, specifically the PaCE Curriculum for middle school students
• Students have access to tutoring programs
• GEAR UP students can apply for a scholarship as part of the program, up to a certain dollar amount, to be used toward postsecondary education.

More information about the GEAR UP Grant

GEAR UP participation agreement

Q: Is the tutoring online?
A: Yes, it is virtual. The company that runs the tutoring services has people from several specialized areas, which we have found can be helpful, especially with more advance coursework.

Q: What kind of data are you collecting?

A: Strictly demographic data, so we can show the activities and experiences students participate in. It is how we show the effects of our services on postsecondary enrollment, which is how the Department of Education measures success for the GEAR UP grant. We also look at test scores when evaluating the effectiveness of the program.

Based on feedback from the Board on the initial draft calendar for the 2025-26 school year, the Calendar Committee surveyed staff on their thoughts about adding another religious holidays into the calendar. 455 staff submitted the survey.

The recommendation from the Committee, after reviewing the survey responses, was to submit the calendar as-is to the Board for a second reading.

View the proposed 2025-26 Calendar Approval will be requested during the February 18, 2025, business meeting. The proposed calendar and the survey results will be posted on the USD website prior to the meeting.

11.1 GEAR UP Grant Agreement Approval APPROVED

11.2 Vision 2030 APPROVED

Dr. Ivory-Tatum's Superintendent Report: February 4, 2025

Highlights:

• UHS Senior named 2025 Cameron Impact Scholar
• UHS Girls Wrestling placed 1st at Regionals
• National African American Parent Involvement Day is Feb. 10